Delaware Historical Society Review

About Delaware Historical Society

The Delaware Historical Society is a non-profit organization that has been preserving and promoting the history of Delaware since 1864. The society holds the nation's largest privately held collection of material relating to Delaware history, including manuscripts, photographs, maps, and artifacts.

The society's mission is to inspire people to explore the richness and diversity of Delaware's past. They achieve this by collecting, preserving, interpreting, and sharing historical materials with the public. The society also offers educational programs for all ages that help people understand their place in history.

One of the most significant collections held by the Delaware Historical Society is its manuscript collection. This collection includes over 10 million pages of documents dating back to colonial times. These documents provide a unique insight into life in early America and are an invaluable resource for historians and researchers.

In addition to its manuscript collection, the society also holds an extensive photograph collection that includes over 200,000 images dating back to the mid-19th century. These photographs document everything from everyday life in Delaware to major events such as World War II.

The society's map collection is another important resource for researchers and historians. It includes over 2,500 maps dating back to colonial times that document changes in land use patterns over time.

The artifact collection held by the Delaware Historical Society includes everything from clothing and furniture to tools and weapons used by early settlers in Delaware. These artifacts provide a tangible link between modern-day residents of Delaware and their ancestors who lived here centuries ago.

In addition to its collections, the society also operates several historic sites throughout Wilmington that are open to visitors year-round. These sites include Old Town Hall (built-in 1798), Willingtown Square (a recreated colonial-era village), Read House & Gardens (an elegant Federal-style mansion built-in 1801), among others.

The society also offers educational programs for all ages throughout the year. These programs include lectures on various aspects of Delaware history as well as hands-on workshops where participants can learn traditional crafts such as blacksmithing or weaving.

Overall, if you're interested in learning more about Delaware's rich history or conducting research on any aspect of it - whether it be genealogy or social studies - then look no further than The Delaware Historical Society! With its vast collections spanning centuries worth exploring through interactive exhibits at historic sites around Wilmington plus educational programming designed specifically with students' needs at heart - there really isn't anything quite like what they offer anywhere else!